⚡Kraken plans 'Ink' Ethereum Layer 2 launch in 2025 built using the OP Stack.

Kraken is planning to launch its own Ethereum Layer 2 blockchain called Ink early next year in partnership with Optimism, following the lead of rival crypto exchange Coinbase.

Confirming initial reports from November 2023, Ink is expected to debut its testnet later this year, with a full mainnet launch anticipated in the first quarter of 2025. 

It is designed to offer permissionless access to DeFi applications, including trading, lending and borrowing services, according to a statement on Thursday.

Ink will join the broader Ethereum ecosystem as part of the Superchain—a network of interoperable Layer 2 blockchains built using Optimism's OP Stack, which enables seamless communication and scalability across networks. 

Projects including OP Mainnet itself, Base, Zora and Worldcoin have already deployed Layer 2s on the Superchain, with the decentralized exchange Uniswap unveiling its own Unichain optimistic rollup plans earl…